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Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie hosted his first State of VA Community Town Hall on September 27, 2018. The secretary and eight guest panelists highlighted the activity and direction of VA since his appointment to lead the department in July.

“VA exists to make life easier for Veterans,” Wilkie recently told the crowd of Veterans at the AMVETS annual convention. “So my prime directive is customer service. When a Veteran comes in to VA, it is not up to him to get VA to say ‘yes.’ It is up to VA to give the Veteran tools.”

The secretary and panelists discussed how VA is focused on becoming the leader in customer experience and improving services to our nation’s Veterans through various initiatives such as engagement with community partners, leaders, advocates, state/county VA departments, Department of Defense, Veteran Service Organizations, and community Veterans engagement boards.

The secretary engaged Veterans directly during this webcast’s live question and answer session. All attendants were invited to submit questions during the webcast.

Panelists:
Jim Wartski – Veterans Experience Office
Dr. Richard Stone – Veterans Health Administration
Dr. Paul Lawrence – Veterans Benefits Administration
Randy Reeves – National Cemetery Administration
Alfie Alvarado-Ramos – National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs
Herman Breuer – National Association of County Veterans Service Officers
Anthony Wickham – National Guard
Stephen Austin – Army Reserve

July 20, 2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Navy Veteran Neil Armstrong, and Air Force Veterans Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins manned the mission.
The National Air and Space Museum displayed full-motion projection-mapping artwork and archival footage on the Washington Monument. The show, “Apollo 50: Go for the Moon”, included the true-to-scale 363 foot Saturn V liftoff, various stages of the rocket separation, lunar landing, first step on the moon, re-entry, and splash down back to earth.
To read more on the Apollo 11 crew, visit https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/6340...
#veterans #AirForce #Navy #NASA #Apollo11

Over 400 Disabled Veterans descend on Snowmass Mountain for the 33rd Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. At age 94, Navy Veteran Warren Heyer just crossed skiing off his bucket list. He's legally blind and can't drive a car, but he skis straight down the mountain with a huge smile on his face!

Approximately one third of Veterans we serve live in rural areas. They must often must drive great distances to receive their care at the VA.

Philips will donate the equipment required to pilot 10 rural access points at the halls of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars for Veterans to conduct telehealth sessions with their VA providers, with a commitment to expand to 100 total sites.

Produced for NCA’s Veterans Legacy Program by students and faculty from San Francisco State University.

NCA is proud to support local filmmakers, storytellers, and students engaging with the stories of Veterans in their local national cemeteries. They may raise issues of local interest or even controversy. We hope this encourages all viewers to learn more about the Veterans and their circumstances. The views expressed by parties in the films are not those of NCA, but presented as part of the plurality of perspectives and views surrounding the life and service of American Veterans.

Written with Korean War Veterans Association President, Larry Kinard. Larry told us of his desire to change the common name for that conflict from the Forgotten War to the Forgotten Victory. With Operation Song writers George Teren and Bob Regan.

HEAR THE FULL SONG AT: https://youtu.be/SeVZR3JhPoQ
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT: operationsong.org

Operation Song is partnered with VA Voluntary Service. Their mission is to empower veterans, active duty military, and their families to tell their stories though the process of songwriting. Their songwriting programs and retreats create an opportunity to transform service-related issues, injuries and illnesses into a structured, musical outlet as an enhancement of traditional therapy and/or treatment. #Koreanwar #USveterans #Honoringvets #countrymusic #songwriting

Andrew Lessard lives for adrenaline. He’s stroked to have discovered skiing after his military career ended abruptly. He will tell you “not bad for a Texas boy.

Battle of Iwo Jima (Part 4): Medal of Honor recipient Woody Williams remembers engaging enemy pillboxes as the fighting continued on Iwo Jima. "If I had an empty flamethrower . . . I probably wouldn't be talking to you today."

This six-part series will be released on VA's social media channels every Tuesday through March 26. Watch Part 5 here on March 19. #HonoringVets #History #WWII

The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum held its annual ‘WWII Weekend’ event on last month. Some of the highlights included retired Marine Corps Veterans, Fred Channels and Eric Junger (training officer and a founder of Parris Island’s Living History Detachment), who answered questions on WWII-era weapons and equipment; battle briefings for guests to learn how Marines won famous battles like Iwo Jima; and a weapons demonstration and tactics re-enactment from former Marines.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), in partnership with Sanford Health, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health care systems, recently announced it will soon provide free genetic testing to cancer survivors cared for by VA.

Patrick McGuire, 45, a Navy Veteran and stage 4 lung cancer survivor, is encouraged that he will be one of the first participants at the Durham VA Health Care System launch site.

The VA PHarmacogenomics Action for cancer SuRvivorship (PHASeR) testing program will launch this year at the Durham facility, and will enroll all cancer survivors who receive treatment at the facility. The program will expand to enroll 250,000 Veterans at 125 sites around the country.

VA's Assistive Technology 3Dprinting teams help VA medical staff visualize the human body like never before.

More on VA's AT Program: https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/6533...

Navy Veteran Scott Nelson owes his life to adaptive sports and VA therapists. His wife and caregiver says this time at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is a whole new beginning for her family.

An overview of the new VA Appeals Modernization Act.